for choosing half its board of directors.
rest of Britain's so-called independent radio?
writes on the possibilities and pitfalls.
Both the public radio are controlled patrolled in which reinforce the status quo.
By and large it establishment, the orthodox, the 'moderate, the spokespersons, the police and army andouts that these media weigh in the 'balance' and The Report broadcasting and the subsequent White Paper drawn up by the Labour government included tentative sugeestions lor new ways of running the media.
They paciuded, for cxample, the nroposal that the fourth TV channel should run by an open broadcasting authority proposal which the Tories have just clobbered in favour of their commercial friends.
Fur Jocal radio. suggestion was that noo-profit making tres reflecting the community could run new stations instead of the usual business outfits.
journalists community activists in Cardiff picked up this meisuge at the end of last year and bepan to organise a bid for the Carditi franchise, which five groupsof business people, media stars, and public figures were already. competing for.
Cardiff Broadcasting really stage was mainly leftish and radical.
The problem was to raise the cash. There were no charitable foundations 10 provide nuch of the preparatory work Ne bad to have financia investors, and that meant some form of compromise.
At this point a few socialists opted oul, hut to get into any sort of shape acceptahle to the Independent Broadcasting Authority - which awards the THE FRANCHISE of Cardiff's new commercial | 50 percent block vote. radio station has just been awarded to a company based on community groups, with an electoral process Will this measure of community control prevail over the business interests which dictate the output of the BOB DUMBLETON, a member of the Socialist Workers Party, Cardiff and South Wales Housing Action, and now a director of Cardiff Broadcasting prizes a compromise was always what it had to be.
The presence of financial stakeholders and "discipline" was a crucial sign to the IBA that we weren't all that different.
on the and The the tution works like this: the radio company has a board of 12 directors, hall of whom are selected by the shareholders as other six elected democratically elected trust.
Since the finance holders are limited maximum holding of 10 per cent, and there are loes of them, There is real power in the trust's Nearly 400 people came to the public meeting which elected the present board, Including a phalanx of church people and SPUCites.
conformist clery, two women s activists, a Labour councillor, and an SWP member.
The whole enterprise has been a series of compromises. first with the financiers.
The present directors are not obviously in it for the moncy — most local radio is not a gold mine, and business people have cultural and communily aims in such matters as the arts and charities.
But profits will have to be made in order to survive.
The socond compromise will be with the advertisers, which means secking the biggest audience, Our stressed news and information, by as opposed to the usual pop. there share- pressures here.
Thirdly, the IBA supervises the political impartialicy of programmes and has a veto over the key appointments.
anvining Carditt radical The nonSuE Da product:
radio drivel. A competitor news services in the area.
and demystifying as bosses fodder, rich and living.
SHITES and controls the media.
Libe -basis individual votes, group votes, and 10 per federated group votes application Moreover, evidently a set Whether ofsociery.
Only if there is continued pressure from activists will emerge Broadcasling. otherwise all the good and intentions be reshaped by the system into the What could be achieved? A station with content instead of perpetual "pop much needed Thomson press and the BBC and HTV A stimulus to democratising the media.
Ine protessional broadcasters will have community activists 10.30pm and teamworkers, and so won't be the usual copy Our aim has to be to harness the mass of free talent and Radio imagination to make the output Cityl, Above all, the sucpess and will illuminate central question of who owns of fascists.
In Cardiff people will soon be voting regularly to exercise a local radio station. The nexi the station. clection of the trust will be on stations who mass Many of peT cenl per Cent Cardiff people will have the opportunity to help in making programmes.
Cardiff Broad- at the moment. casting proves to be a sop or a landmark depends in the end on the people who are struggling Party for democracy in every sphere (PDEP). Members of the Housewives' Collective injured after fascist attack - from Granada's Chain Reaction NEXT Tuesday, 29 May, at these Granade TV is Chain Reaction, which examines how the far lelt in Italy sees the present political situation there.
Featured in the programme is Citta Futura (Future an independent radio station of the fur left in Rome, was which was physically attacked in January by an arised group Sandro Slivestri of Radio Citta Futura told Chris Walker of the Peoples News Service about the attack and the role of For the first time in lesly. and for that matter in Europe except for certain radio during the War people cun broadcast without any prior control or censorship. and really say what they like.
There are a lot of people Phase never had the opportunity to explain to other people their position und ideas. That's RCF's role.
HE's not only for the left, but for anyone who is involved in u movement and has something to say - oppressed people such us students, the unemployed... KASS lett.
"Due to the way we operate, it is not possible for RCE, or other democratic radie station in Haly, to broadcast an account of events which is misleading or simply not true.
'Once someihing happens which involves workers.
PEE HE USCE OPTE state radio and then to what we Anyone who disagree phone in and express their opinion on the air.
*In this way RCP can give a very clear version of events. This is very important in Home RCF was set up in 1976 b Workers Vanguard TAO] anc Unity but shortly alterwunds became Independest of aligning ibel The Housewives" Collective Is an example of this involvement.
*The collective is Impossible to Imagine because the housewives have te stay at borne.
"The Housewives' Collective launched following an appeal by some of the women of Radio Donna, a feminist radio operating indepcadentis within REF.
"Step by step, these women mhost THISPI middle-aged - came out, and now this is one of the strongest elements of the feminist mosement in Htais...
We are a voice which the the establishment, and even the Communist Party find really disturbing. Several times. acting en the instigation of the CP. the police huve tried te stop our broadcasts.
*The atrack by the fascists is part of a new strategy. After having attacking, injured and killed ordinary people trains. in bunks, and on the SINCIS the fascists attacking the rerolutionary The attuck on the rudio station 00 9 Jaunary CAme when five women from the Housewives' Collective were broadcast about abortion and contraception. The fascists set fire to thestudio and shot at the women as they escaped.
afternoon, 10,000 marched from the neighbour hood to the hospital to see the ROBISCHI The Following day 41,000 women demonstrated in Rame against thie altack, and some 50,000 marched a lew duys luter in support of RCF. In 15 days, the station collected E10,OH0 in and construction workers helped to rebuild the studio.
Socialist Challenge 24 May 1979 page 15
Socialist Challenge THREE WEEKS the Tories in the NO any NUM now
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marched in support of a radio station